Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gels and methods of making gels.
Background
It has long been known that the electrolysis of fluids can result in useful products. Thus, various apparatus and methods have been proposed for electrolyzing saline solution, however, all of the previously available schemes present one or more drawbacks. Moreover, the industry has been struggling with a method to create a stabilized gel form of electrolyzed fluids.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 8,323,252 B2 to Alimi et al. teaches a gel formulation for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Similarly, U.S. Patent Application No. 2012/0164235 A1 to Northey teaches a hydrogel comprising oxidative reductive potential water and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
US Patent Publication No. 2011/0121110 A1 to Field is generally directed to an apparatus for making and discharging ORP water and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The apparatus itself includes an electrode and a control circuit and a way to dispense of the ORP water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,054 B1 to Rogozinski is generally directed to a gel made from an electrolytically derived hypochlorite solution and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The gels that are used include Laponite.
US Patent Publication No. 2014/0044800 A1 to Robinson et al. is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is generally directed to electrolyzed water comprising reactive oxygen species.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,249 to Daly et al. teaches a method an apparatus for making electrolyzed water comprising an insulating end cap for a cylindrical electrolysis cell and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,236,992 and 4,316,787 to Themy disclose an electrode, method and apparatus for electrolyzing dilute saline solutions to produce effective amounts of disinfecting agents such as chlorine, ozone and hydroxide ions. Both of these references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,674,537, 6,117,285 and 6,007,686 also teach electrolyzed fluids and are now incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,344 teaches a water electrolyzing apparatus including a plurality of electrolysis devices, each comprising an electrolysis vessel having a cathode and an anode oppose to each other and an electrolysis diaphragm partitioning the space between both of the electrodes wherein the plurality of devices are connected in a series such that only one of the two ionized water discharge channels of the devices constitutes a water supply channel to the device a the succeeding stage and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,249 is now incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is directed to a method and apparatus for making electrolyzed water.
Methods for treatment of physiological fluids using electrolyzed solutions are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,383 which is now incorporated herein by reference in its entirety teaches an electrolyzed saline solution, properly made and administered in vivo, as effective in the treatment of various infections brought on by invading antigens and particularly viral infections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,932 which is now incorporated herein by reference in its entirety teaches an apparatus for electrolyzing fluids.
Described herein generally are aqueous formulations including at least one stable reactive and/or radical species.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,501 B2 is directed to a method for producing neutral electrolytic water containing OH, D2, HD and HDO as active elements and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
There is a need for stabilized or contained superoxides, hydroxyl radicals and/or OOH* in an aqueous medium, without solvents or catalysts, outside the human body. The art teaches that superoxides, hydroxyl radicals and/or OOH* last for a very short amount of time. Even years after the priority date of this application, stabilizing superoxides in particular was proving difficult and inapplicable: Hayyan et al. Generation and stability of superoxide ion in tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluorophosphate anion-based ionic liquids. Journal of Fluorine Chemistry. Volume 142, October 2012, Pages 83-89 and Hayyan et al. Long term stability of superoxide ion in piperidinium, pyrrolidinium and phosphonium cations-based ionic liquids and its utilization in the destruction of chlorobenzenes. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. Volume 664, 1 Jan. 2012, Pages 26-32.
At the time the priority document was filed, superoxides were known to have a very short lifespan: Kahn et al. SPIN TRAPS: IN VITRO TOXICITY AND STABILITY OF RADICAL ADDUCTS. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, Vol. 34, No. 11, pp. 1473-1481, 2003, AlNashef et al. Electrochemical Generation of Superoxide In Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids. Electrochemical and Solid State Letters, 4 (11) D16-D18 (2001), AlNashef et al. Superoxide Electrochemistry in an Ionic Liquid. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2002, 41, 4475-4478, Bielski et al. Reactivity of HO2/O2— Radicals in Aqueous Solution. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, Vol. 14, No. 4 1985, Konaka et al. IRRADIATION OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE GENERATES BOTH SINGLET OXYGEN AND SUPEROXIDE ANION. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, Vol. 27, Nos. 3/4, pp. 294-300, 1999.
Typically, in the process of making electrolyzed water, membranes are considered required. Zhuang et al. Homogeneous blend membrane made from poly(ether sulphone) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and its application to water electrolysis. Journal of Membrane Science. Volume 300, Issues 1-2, 15 Aug. 2007, Pages 205-210, Sawada et al. Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis systems for hydrogen production based on our newly developed membranes, Part I: Analysis of voltage. Progress in Nuclear Energy, Volume 50, Issues 2-6, March-August 2008, Pages 443-448, Okada et al. Theory for water management in membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells: Part 1. The effect of impurity ions at the anode side on the membrane performances. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry Volume 465, Issue 1, 6 Apr. 1999, Pages 1-17, Okada et al. Theory for water management in membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells: Part 2. The effect of impurity ions at the cathode side on the membrane performances. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Volume 465, Issue 1, 6 Apr. 1999, Pages 18-29, Okada et al. Ion and water transport characteristics of Nafion membranes as electrolytes. Electrochimica Acta, Volume 43, Issue 24, 21 Aug. 1998, Pages 3741-3747, Zoulias et al. A Review on Water Electrolysis last modified 20 Jan. 2006 15:24, http://www.cres.gr/kape/publications/papers/dimosieyseis/ydrogen/A%20REVIEW%20ON%20WATER%20ELECTROLYSIS.pdf, Xu et al. Ion exchange membranes: state of their development and perspective. Journal of Membrane Science 263 (2005) 1-29, Kariduraganavar et al. Ion-exchange membranes: preparative methods for electrodialysis and fuel cell applications. Desalination 197 (2006) 225-246, Asawa et al. Material properties of cation exchange membranes for chloralkali electrolysis, water electrolysis and fuel cells. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. July 1989, Volume 19, Issue 4, pp 566-570. However, the inventive product and process described herein is done without a separator or separating membrane/diaphragm.
Products comprising electrolyzed water and in particular, gel products, have been known to be unstable and unable to maintain a long shelf-life. This lack of stability effects the products functionality and benefits.